Services

Please take a look at the services we offer.

Accounting

We are a highly versatile team, enabling us to deal with any business and any type of business records.
Our experience covers all sectors – commercial business, farming, fishing, legal and professional sectors, retail and distribution, manufacturing and engineering. We understand Margins, Net Returns and Financing, enabling us to help you take your business forward.

Audit

The firm is authorised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland to act as Statutory Auditors in the U.K. and Ireland.
We have 25 years’ experience of auditing for companies and other regulated businesses, providing valuable feedback and assurance reporting to you from the audit process.

Tax

Our Tax Return and Management Services are operated to meet your requirements, to ensure that you comply with all deadlines and demands, eliminating penalties and charges.
Our Tax Planning work is designed to let you retain the reward of your hard work, with workable solutions and structures for the long term.

Consulting

There are so many things you may want to do. Re-finance. Acquire a business. Acquire land and property. Sell your business. We advise on all of these.
We know the requirements and processes of banks and finance houses, and we can create your plan to make things happen.

Based in Downpatrick, we work with private clients in Belfast, Co Down, and Co Antrim.

Modern technology enables us to extend our reach throughout NI and the rest of the UK.

Elliott Laverty Chartered Accountants.

Authorised and regulated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland.

Authorised as UK & Ireland Statutory Auditors by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland.

Making Tax Digital

What it is and how we can help you deal with it.

The Changes

HMRC are about to make major changes which will affect the way VAT registered businesses store their records and submit their tax returns.

It's called "Making Tax Digital". Here are the main points:-

In April 2019 HMRC is closing the existing website you use to submit VAT returns.

You will be required to purchase new software to keep a digital record of your transactions.

This software will be used to submit your VAT records in the new, more detailed digital format.

This digital reporting will be extended to all tax returns in April 2020.

Lastly, we will be offering new services to help our clients through this change, including:-

We can undertake the 'Making Tax Digital' submission for clients.

We can help you computerise your records for this VAT stage of 'Making Tax Digital'.

But right now we’re offering any business - whether an existing client or not - a free initial discussion of your 'Making Tax Digital' for VAT requirements. Please contact us - April 2019 will soon be here.

About Us

A short history of the firm.

1950-1981

Hill Vellacott and Bailey

Our firm began life in Downpatrick as a regional office of a national firm, serving business clients in County Down, with a recognised reputation for honesty and integrity.

1981-2017

John Laverty & Company

The regional office was subject to a management buy-out by Mr John Laverty. The business was re-branded and continued to grow and develop as a highly regarded firm, with significant accounting and tax knowledge, and later specialising in matters of Capital Taxes, Estates and Trusts.

2017

Elliott Laverty Chartered Accountants

The firm is taken over by Mr Norman Elliott FCA to become Elliott Laverty Chartered Accountants, bringing a new era of change and development. The firm now offers a full range of Accounting and Auditing services, Tax Management and Advice, and Business Consulting. Driven by new technology, the firm is proactive, attentive, efficient and competitive, all for the benefit of clients. Our core values remain real honesty, genuine passion, trust and integrity.

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Our Experienced Team

Introducing our key staff.

Norman Elliott FCA

Managing Director, Head of Audit & Tax

Norman has a degree in Economics and Finance from LSE and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse in Belfast in 1987. Having worked overseas in several different countries in his youth, he started his first accountancy practice in 1992. Norman developed it for 21 years, providing dedicated and effective work and advice. Later he became a partner in a Top 30 UK Accounting Firm, specialising in the development and growth of family businesses and companies.
Norman’s business focus was and remains on finding efficient, effective and practical accounting and tax solutions for clients at an affordable price.
He has lived in Ballynahinch for over 25 years with his wife, two sons, and several cats. In his spare time, his interests include travel, road running, long distance walking and endless reading.

John Laverty TEP

Estates & Trusts Consultant

John trained as an accountant with a large national firm, before establishing his own business. He grew and developed his practice over many years, leading it to become the largest independent accountancy business in South Down, offering pro-active, prompt, and reliable accounting and tax services to business clients.
During his career in accountancy and tax, John developed extensive skills and knowledge to both run a successful Accounting practice and to deliver effective and efficient work for clients. His wide experience of business situations has benefited many family owned businesses and companies.
John is a renowned expert in Inheritance Tax and Estate issues, succession planning, and Tax mitigation and planning, and acts as consultant to a number of other professional firms.
John lives with his family in Co Down, and his interests include sailing and travel.

Joe Kennedy FCA

Business Services, Accounts & Tax

Joe trained and qualified as a chartered accountant with a large practice in 1991, before joining with John Laverty, where he has developed the skills required to advise family businesses in issues of Accounting and Tax. Joe has many years of experience in the preparation of Statutory Accounts and Management Accounts, and provides advice on business structures, management systems and financial forecasting. In taxation, he has significant knowledge of Tax compliance and systems, making a major contribution to client’s businesses in the mitigation of costs, penalties and time. Joe takes an interest in general accounting computer software and hardware, and has assisted and advised numerous businesses when they were faced with changes, new equipment, and new systems.
Joe lives in Co Down and his interests include restoring classic cars.

News

Finance & business related news.

Making Tax Digital for VAT - More change! - April 2019

"It's life Jim but not as we know it", said Dr McCoy to Captain Kirk in Star Trek. Well, VAT registered businesses are about to experience Life as they've not previously known. On 13 July 2018, HMRC quietly published VAT Notice 700/22, which may become the most famous VAT Notice of all time. In essence, from 1 April 2019, the HMRC VAT portal through which currently all traders enter their VAT liability will close and cease to exist. Businesses will be required to have "approved software" that will take their "source" records and via a "Digital Link" create and submit quarterly VAT Returns.

You need to understand, consider and resolve a solution before April 2019. If you are a VAT business and have not heard of this, or if you need to discuss, please contact us for a free initial consultation.

Written by:
Norman Elliott FCA

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Contact Us

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Chartered Accountants

18 English Street

Downpatrick

BT30 6AB

UK

phone : 02844 616413

mobile : 07802 675837

email : info@elliottlaverty.com

Making Tax Digital

A handy guide to VAT Notice 700/22.

Are you ready for HMRC’s biggest technological and reporting change to date? Do you know what it is? Do you know what, by law, you will be mandated to do?

As we write at September 2018, there are no Making Tax Digital usable products, but here is a summary of what businesses will be compulsorily required to do from 1 April 2019;

If you are VAT registered, “digitise” your records - in layman’s terms, keep a computer record of the transactions (on software purchased by you, or for a while, on MTD compliant excel spreadsheets).

Submit your VAT Return from those computer records.

Do it via approved IT Software which YOU will also have to purchase and operate - HMRC are supplying no software and are switching off their VAT Portal where you currently enter your VAT Return numbers.

One year later, HMRC theoretically move to similar reporting for Tax Returns - quarterly Returns! Yes, four Tax Returns a year - for VAT Registered businesses, and then for all business and for any individual with untaxed Gross income of over £10,000 per annum (eg Rental income).

OK, that’s one year later – let’s worry about that later too. Given the amount of changes, stops and starts from HMRC, as they encounter how business records are maintained in practice, we don’t yet know how that will develop.

However, the VAT change in April 2019 is real and immediate, and you - a VAT registered business - need to think, plan and get on top of this sooner rather than later.